


Raindrops on Rooftops

by seasalticecream32



Series: Punk!Merlin AUs [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 13:39:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4921669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasalticecream32/pseuds/seasalticecream32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: “Punks can get scared of thunderstorms too.” + “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?” Merthur.</p><p>This was, technically, all Arthur's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raindrops on Rooftops

**Author's Note:**

> For ravenclawcole, totally awesome person who introduced me to wizard rock and pirate rock alike! (I think she's the one who introduced me to pirate rock.)
> 
> If you want to send me requests and stuff, please send them to captainmerlin32 on tumblr. Also, you could just go there and follow me? That would be nice.

This was, technically, all Arthur’s fault. Sure, Merlin ended up in detention a lot. It wasn’t exactly a secret that he didn’t get along with Principal Uther and the Politics teacher was an asshole who just loved to pick on Merlin in the middle of class. Merlin wasn’t good at keeping his mouth shut. Especially when Mr. Agravaine was wrong, as he often was.

However, this time, it wasn’t Uther or Agravaine’s fault. No, this time it was strictly Arthur’s.

He’d been picking on George, the poor besotted boy who liked to follow him around. Merlin just happened to round the corner when he’d seen Arthur mocking the red-faced freshman and promptly combusted.

He ended up with a bloody nose and a bruised up knuckle because of it, but at least Arthur was sitting beside him in detention. The prat could look less smug about it, though. Merlin wasn’t sure who’d won, but he was pretty sure Arthur hadn’t exactly had a landslide victory. Besides, he wondered if Arthur would be so proud about it when he realized Uther was going to find out he’d been fighting in the halls again.

“What are you smiling about?” Merlin snapped the fourth time he caught Arthur grinning at him. “Figured out a good excuse to give Daddy-dearest when you get home?”

Arthur snorted. “Like he gives a shit. He’ll be off doing whatever in his office.” Arthur rolled his eyes, but his cheeks turned pink and he stopped giving Merlin those smug little smiles.

Halfway through detention hour, Merlin heard the crack of thunder. It had been cloudy all day. It’s not like this was surprising. Still, he’d hoped… He groaned and thumped his head against the desk and prayed as hard as he could that it was just thunder and it would all pass quickly.

As if God had heard him and was determined to add insult to injury on this not-so-fine day, a flash of lightning lit up the dull room and the clouds broke.

From the heavy thunk and clunk against the windows and roof, it wasn’t just a light storm. No, Merlin was almost certain that was hail.

He didn’t move. _Breathe in through your mouth, and out through your nose,_ he tried to tell himself. _Wait no, is it in through your nose and out through your mouth?_ Merlin fought down the urge to tap his feet and run his hands over his jeans. He held himself as still as possible and distracted himself with counting backwards and trying to remember all of his anxiety techniques.

He was interrupted by the sound of loud, obnoxious laughter. He didn’t even have to look up to know who it was.

Arthur’s head was thrown back, his mouth open wide in a comically exaggerated laugh. “Oh my god, Merlin Emrys, badass punk kid, is scared of thunderstorms.”

“Am not,” Merlin said tersely. Jesus, this day was so bad and it wasn’t even over. “Shut up.”

“No, look at you.” Arthur gestured towards Merlin’s hands, which he’d clenched into tight fists without realizing it. “We can hear you counting, idiot.”

“What is wrong with you?” He hissed, glaring at Arthur’s head and imagining it popping off. Like popping a big, nasty zit. “Why do you even care?”

A couple of Arthur’s goony friends laughed when Arthur jumped at the next clap of thunder, feigning terror. Merlin’s cheeks burned red, and he knew without even checking that his ears were like pink beacons stuck to the side of his head.

“Mr. Pendragon, Mr. Emrys, do the two of you need to stay after detention to talk out this issue?” Gaius raised his eyebrow, barely glancing up from his book to glare at the two of them.

Which, as far as Merlin was concerned, was bullshit. It’s not like he was the one being loud or acting like a fool. No, that was all Arthur’s business.

This was all Arthur’s fault, anyway.

Merlin put his head down on the table and tried to sleep through the rest of detention. It would likely be the only sleep he got all day if this storm kept up.

To his chagrin, when he’d lifted his head and wiped the slobber from his cheek, the rain was still pelting down. At least the hail seemed to have passed.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty. Gaius says I have to walk you to your car. Apparently he doesn’t approve of my _bullying behavior_.” Arthur rolled his eyes, but Merlin could tell by the way he bit his lip that the accusation bothered him.

Which, it should. Arthur had been bullying kids since his dad became Principal two years ago and kids started treating him like some kind of prince instead of just a kid whose dad had the money to move up. But still, Merlin didn’t want Arthur to walk him to his car.

“Yeah, well, I’m not some helpless babe, I can walk myself.” Merlin scowled, trying to force Arthur to back down just by looking unpleasant.

Arthur’s pink cheeks darkened to a red blush, but he scowled back. “Look, I have an umbrella and Gaius says I have to share or he’ll drag me home by my ear, so just don’t be stubborn and let me do this, ok?”

Merlin raised his eyebrows at the outburst, but shrugged it off. Maybe Arthur wouldn’t notice. “Ok, fine then. But don’t think I’m giving you a ride home. I don’t have the gas to play chauffer.”

“Yeah, whatever, just come on, ok.” Arthur nudged him towards the door, staring at his feet.

It wasn’t like Gaius to leave before detention was over. Merlin was used to telling him goodbye. He’d have to tell him off tomorrow in science class for leaving him to deal with Arthur by himself.

Merlin tried to distract himself from the fact that he was about to step out into the storm. He’d almost succeeded, counting backwards _and_ pressing the pads of his fingers together one by one, but then lightning struck feet away from the school and the lights in the hallway flickered and Merlin had let out a squeal.

This time when Arthur laughed, it was genuine. Tears leaked from his eyes and when he looked at Merlin, all he did was shake his head.

Merlin pressed his hands into his sides and took a deep breath. “You think it’s funny, but you’re not the one who’s about to have to walk through that hell afraid.”

“Yeah, well, what’s to be scared of? It’s just a little rain, after all.” Arthur grinned and hurried closer to the door. “Think of it like ripping off a bandage. The sooner you get it done, the quicker you’ll be at home all wrapped up in bed and can forget about it.”

Merlin didn’t say anything, just looked at his feet and continued forward. He could feel Arthur’s eyes on him as they approached the door, but whatever Arthur was thinking of saying, he chose not to.

Merlin’s car was parked at the farthest end of the lot. It was green and dingy and dented in a couple of places. He’d only bought it two years ago, but it already looked ready to fall apart. When he’d bought it, the bumper was being held on by duct tape. At least he’d replaced that.

He was a quarter of the way across the parking lot when he realized that the umbrella wasn’t being held over him anymore.

Arthur had stopped, head tilted as he looked at Merlin’s hunched over shoulders. Merlin’s black shirt was getting soaked in the rain and he could already feel the chill settling over his skin. “Oi! What are you doing?”

Arthur shook his head. “Just enjoying the feel of the rain.”

Merlin gaped. The rain just felt like ice to him. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?”

“Yeah, so?” Arthur’s blond hair was stuck to his forehead and hanging over his eyes, but his grin was blinding. Merlin’s heart flipped, but that may have been because of the thunder rolling overhead.

“Just hurry up, ok? My car’s not far.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Arthur jogged forward and held the umbrella again. “You know, I could get electrocuted by holding this umbrella.”

“Oh, no.” Merlin said dryly. “Whatever would I do.”

“Probably be taken down with me, standing so close.” Arthur grinned at him, snickering when Merlin shivered. “Then you’d really be scared of storms.”

“Don’t know if you noticed, you oaf, but I’m actually scared now, so I don’t need a hypothetical situation.” Merlin practically ran the rest of the way to his car. He spoke quickly, trying to get everything out before Arthur had time to get too near. “Alright now, you’ve done your duty, you can go away.”

Which was precisely the wrong thing to say to Arthur Pendragon. Of course it was. Merlin banged his head against his steering wheel as Arthur approached, grin impossibly wider.

“What are you hiding in your car then, _Mer_ lin, that you want me to hurry off?” Arthur chuckled as he stepped up to the crap car and peered into the windows.

It wasn’t much. Just Merlin’s laundry and a few bags of chips. If that had been all Arthur had seen, Merlin might have been able to explain it away. But Arthur hadn’t been satisfied and Merlin couldn’t get the car started quick enough to keep him from looking closer.

There was his toothbrush and toothpaste on the console. He’d been in a hurry this morning and hadn’t put them away properly. His brush was tossed in the back. Shampoo and conditioner were kept safely in the passenger door. His pajamas were in the front seat, ready for him to slide into them and get comfortable. Which wouldn’t be happening tonight, Merlin could see, because the bag he’d taped over his window had leaked and now his pajamas were soaked. Luckily, the blanket tucked under the seat was still plenty dry. That was the only lucky thing to happen to him today.

Arthur frowned, as if he was still puzzling it all out. Merlin knew he’d seen it all. The car was too tiny to truly hide anything, and Arthur had been staring in the whole time Merlin had been trying and failing to start up his car.

He felt a bit like crying, and that would be the most humiliating topper to his day.

Merlin, the scared, homeless punk kid who cried to the most popular guy in school.

Ah, yes, perfect.

“Merlin…” Arthur said his name carefully, stepping slowly forward. “Do you live… in the school parking lot?”

“What’s it to you?” Merlin mumbled. He sunk in his chair and covered his face and desperately tried to hide the tears leaking down his cheeks. Lightning lit up the sky and shook the ground and Merlin cursed the fact that he jumped. He couldn’t help it.

“I’m sorry.” Arthur said it quietly, his voice low and his eyes downcast. “I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, well, now you do. Go on and tell all your friends, I really don’t need the pity party.”

“Wow, you are such an ass. Here I am apologizing and you’re acting like I’m threatening to tell everyone.” Arthur was scowling again, but it was softer now.

“You say that like you’re not,” Merlin shot back.

“Just shut up, I’m thinking.” Arthur’s hair was dripping everywhere now, and his lip was pouting out as he thought. He looked adorably like a wet puppy.

“No, I can’t go live with you. Uther hates me. No, I can’t go live with one of your friends. They hate me, I’m pretty sure, and plus, then you’d have to tell them why I need a place to live and that would be humiliating. No, you can’t go to a teacher for help. If they find out I don’t have a home they’ll kick me out of school.” Merlin tried to think of all the other knee-jerk reactions people tried to throw at him. “I think I’ve covered the ones you’re likely to think of at least.”

“I wasn’t going to say any of those. I figure if you had an easy solution you’d have taken it already. Besides, even I don’t want to live with my dad.” Arthur shrugged. “Can I come in?”

“Are you really asking permission to enter my car?”

Arthur gave him a puzzled look. “Yes? I mean, why wouldn’t I?”

Merlin wanted to shout _Because you’re Arthur and you’re a jerk!_ But that didn’t seem to fit the mood of the moment so instead he just shrugged and motioned for Arthur to enter. “The doors don’t lock, so you don’t have to worry about that. Don’t drip all over everything, I have to sleep somewhere in here.”

“Right.” Arthur moved around to the passenger’s side. The seat squelched when he sat down. He cringed. “Jesus, it’s cold in here. Don’t you have heat?”

“Yeah, right. Let me just turn on my car and run down the battery and the gas so I can be warm tonight. It’s not like I’ll need it for the rest of the year or anything.” Merlin rolled his eyes.

“You don’t make this whole ‘being nice to you’ thing easy, you know that?” Arthur chuckled again, but Merlin didn’t feel the bristling anger that he usually did at the sound.

He wiped the last bit of wetness from his eyes, calming his breathing the best he could. “You’re really not going to tell anyone?”

“I’m not a completely heartless bastard, you know.” Arthur rubbed his hands over his arms where Merlin could see goosebumps. “Really, how are you going to keep warm tonight? There has to be something.”

“I’ve got a blanket in the back, but I was going to dry off a bit before I used it. Don’t want it to get wet and moldy.” Merlin leaned back in his seat.

“Mind if I play some music or something? Not a fan of silence.” Arthur squirmed.

“Never would have guessed.” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Go for it.”

Arthur pulled out his ipod, the newest model, and Merlin felt the first stirrings of envy he’d felt in months. He hadn’t had an up to date electronic anything in nearly two years, and he’d sold everything of any value he’d had before for gas and car repairs. Merlin was surprised when Ed Sheeran blared from the small speakers, slapping a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Arthur blushed again, and changed it quickly to something Merlin didn’t recognize.

“Sorry, my sister likes to upload music on here for when she goes running.” Arthur looked away and Merlin wondered how true that was.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with Ed Sheeran. He’s got a lot of talent.”

“Yeah, well, whatever,” Arthur shrugged. “Anyway, do you mind if I ask why you’re living in a car?”

“Mom died and I don’t want to live with my dad.” Merlin shrugged. “I said I could make it on my own and I have been.”

Arthur looked around the cramped car and Merlin knew what he would say. He felt his defenses already bubbling up.

“Well, I mean, if it’s working for you,” he said.

Which was much different from the _“This doesn’t look like you’re making it, mate.”_ Merlin had expected. His mouth, already open to argue, snapped shut. “That’s not what people usually say.”

Arthur leaned back and then winced when he remembered he was sitting in the wet seat. “Yeah, well, I’m not most people.”

Merlin rolled his eyes again, but smiled. “Yeah, yeah, great Arthur Pendragon, ruler of the school and the social circle.” Merlin gave the best mock-bow he could in the small car.

Arthur laughed and nodded. “Ah yes, all my royal subjects.” His face turned serious. “People who didn’t know I existed until my dad ran his campaign and everyone figured out we were rich.”

“Oh, boohoo. Must suck to have all that money and all those friends.” Merlin couldn’t help the edge to his voice. If he had even a fraction of one of Uther’s checks, Merlin could afford to not live in a crap car. He didn’t even know why Uther had wanted to be Principal anyway. It was a major step down from the Mayoral office he’d been running for a few years ago.

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I was complaining about the money.” Arthur frowned and messed with his jeans. “Doesn’t it seem weird to you? My dad’s going on trying to get into a political office and then all the sudden I get into high school, start dating and making friends, and here my dad comes to run my high school?”

Merlin tilted his head to get a good look at Arthur’s face. Surely he wasn’t implying that Uther had only gotten the job as a Principal to keep an eye on Arthur. Except, well, there weren’t many other reasons for Uther to take on that responsibility. It made a twisted sort of sense. “That sounds rather controlling. Is he usually like that?”

Arthur snorted. “Yeah, that’s the least of it. But hey, I’m a guest in your home! Let’s not get into my family business.” Arthur smirked at him, and Merlin couldn’t find it in him to be offended.

So many people had pitied him and refused to look at him after finding out what had happened. It was nice, in an odd way, that Arthur was making a joke out of it. “I’m afraid I’ve been a poor host. I haven’t even fed you.” Merlin reached for one of the greasy bags of chips from the back.

Arthur made a face that looked a lot like a squeamish snarl and shook his head. “No, I insist on getting us food. I mean, I did impose myself on you.”

Merlin’s smile fell. “No, really, look, you don’t’ have to—”

“Oh my god, you proud idiot, I wasn’t offering because you’re homeless, I was offering because I’m hungry and those bags of chips look _really_ not appetizing.” It was Arthur’s turn to roll his eyes as he dug around his pockets for his wallet. “Can you get this thing started so we can get some actual food?”

Merlin looked out over the now dark road, glistening with still falling rain. There was the occasional rumble of thunder. His face reflected back at him from the rearview mirror, pale and ghostly. “I don’t want to drive in the rain.”

“Not even for food?” Arthur waved his newly found wallet around.

“Nope.” Merlin leaned back and closed his eyes and waited for the mockery to start again.

“Ok, then.” Arthur slouched and tried to fit his wallet back into his wet pocket. “You must be really scared.”

“Really? And you suddenly care why?”

“Because I’m not a total ass all the time?” Arthur offered, then shrugged when Merlin shot him an unbelieving look. “I mean, I know I’m an ass a lot of the time, but not all the time.”

“Want some chips?” Merlin reached back again and rested his knees on the steering wheel. He’d grabbed honey-bar-b-q. The seasoning stuck to his fingers, and they were heavy on his stomach, but he was used to it.

“Urm, no. Thank you.” Arthur leaned back again but sat back up when his back squished on the seat. “Look, is there any way I can be _not_ sitting in the wet seat?”

“I could move to the back. But my pajamas are wet and that’s where I sleep.”

“You don’t have any other pajamas?” Arthur glanced down at the scrunched up dragon patterned pants and t-shirt he’d kicked to bottom of the floorboard.

“Well, you see, when you don’t have a closet, you tend to carry as little as possible.” Merlin finished off the bag and folded it up. He stuck it into the side of the door to throw away later. “So no, I don’t have more pajamas.”

“Are you dried off enough to get to the back and cover up then? Because this is ridiculous.”

“But then you’ll get my seat all wet.” Merlin wiped his hands on his jeans and thought for a minute. “You could always come to the back with me.”

“But then I’d get your back seat wet, and you’ve already said that’s where you sleep.”

“Yeah, well, it’s your clothes that are wet, isn’t it?” Merlin grinned and nodded. “So the obvious solution is for you to take your clothes off.”

“That is _not_ the obvious solution to anything, _Mer_ lin.” Arthur gaped at him, covering himself as if scandalized.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, you’re still fully dressed.” Merlin waved his hand at Arthur’s and Arthur dropped his arms, blushing. “I mean, I’m sure your boxers would dry pretty quickly and wouldn’t manage to get my seat too wet. What are you afraid of?”

“I’d be mostly naked in the back seat of your car, Merlin, are you mad?”

“You know, I’ve been told I am before.” Merlin leaned back and stretched his arms over his head. Arthur watched him and shook his head. “Regardless, it’s been a long, bad day. I’m going to try to get some rest. You’re welcome to leave if you’d like.”

More thunder crashed overhead, lightning striking not far from them and lighting up the sky with green light. Arthur looked outside and then back to Merlin, a wicked grin splitting his lips.

“Oh no, Merlin, wouldn’t want to leave you here to deal with such a storm on your own.” Arthur pulled his shirt over his shoulders, the red fabric sticking to his back and tugging over his unruly, but mostly dry, hair. “After all, I’ve been bullying you for quite some time. I have a lot to make up for.”

Merlin gulped at the sight of smooth muscle and the dust of blond hair over a golden chest. It was no secret that Merlin was bisexual. He’d been out since freshman year. But Arthur had only come out this year, and he’d been single since. Merlin hadn’t considered that single didn’t necessarily mean inactive. “You know, on second thought, this was probably a bad idea.”

“It was _your_ idea, Merlin.” Arthur appeared unaffected by the whole thing, but Merlin was tingling all over. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” Merlin said it too quickly and blushed. Where’s his cool, tough guy exterior when he needed it?

“Want me to put my shirt back on?” Arthur raised his eyebrow, and it felt almost like a dare. Like he didn’t think Merlin would be up to the task of dealing with a shirtless Pendragon in his little car.

“No.” Merlin puffed out his chest and straightened up, tried to look as unaffected as Arthur did. “I believe I said down to your boxers.”

Arthur’s grin split again and he nodded. “That you did.”

Arthur taking off his jeans was somewhere between arousing and hilarious. They were wet, and suctioned to his thighs and calves. This meant Arthur wiggled and fought to get them off. He’d cursed when he’d finally gotten them off from his thighs, and Merlin was reminded Arthur played football.

Not that Merlin had watched the _whole_ time. There had been that bit where Arthur’s jeans had tried to take his boxers with them and Merlin had looked away quickly at that point, ears burning red.

“Alright, now I’m really freezing. Your blanket better be warm, because if I freeze to death in this tiny car I am going to haunt you forever.” Arthur climbed back to the back seat and stretched out across it, shivering as soon as he was settled in.

“Um, yeah.” Merlin’s brain was blank. He knew he was supposed to be getting back to the back seat, but he’d imagined it a bit more like sitting beside each other.

Arthur was stretched out across both seats.

“It’s under the seat.” Merlin gestured at the quilt sticking out from the bottom and Arthur  made a half squeal- half sigh sound and yanked it up.

Once he was wrapped up, he gave Merlin a pointed look. “I know you’re cold too, you know. Stop being such a chicken and get back here.”

“You mean, get back there with you?”

“Is there some other thing I would have meant?” Arthur’s face poked out from the red quilt top, nose pink from the cold. “Come on, I’m not going to have you freeze while I’m warming up. Besides, I’m sure you can help with that too.”

Merlin tried to ignore the innuendo and scurried back over the seat.

It was warm, pressed as close as he could be to Arthur in the back, covered head to toe with his mother’s old, oversized quilt. And to his surprise, Arthur didn’t even try anything.

They just curled together as the rain pelted the windows and thunder drifted away.

It wasn’t really a surprise when they fell asleep like that, Merlin with his head on Arthur’s chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.

It had been a long time since Merlin hadn’t been alone.

***

_THUMPUMPUMP_

Merlin screwed his eyes up tight and tried to block out whatever too-loud noise was outside his window.

_THUMPUMPUMP_

“Merlin, mate.”

Merlin groaned and turned, falling messily off his makeshift bed.

He didn’t remember the edge being so close before.

Also, he was really warm, for some reason.

“Merlin?” Someone was above him, sleepy voiced and irritated. “What on earth is your friend doing out here so early in the morning?”

Merlin shot up, his eyes wide. _Oh no._

“Arthur.” Merlin shook the golden shoulder beside his head. “Arthur, you jerk, wake up.”

“Merlin, you forgot to move your car.” Gwaine laughed. “Or I’d say just call this a skip day. Might not want to be here when Uther comes looking for his son.”

“Ooooh no.” Merlin groaned again and reached to shake Arthur harder.

Except, at the mention of Uther, Arthur’s eyes had snapped open and he’d sat up straight. “Oh shit.”


End file.
